Head and body length of B. astutus
is 305-420 mm, tail length is 310-441mm. Height
at the shoulder is about 160 mm, and weights
range from 824 - 1,338 grams. Coloration is
brownish above with buffy underparts. The
eyes are ringed with black and the face has
buff or whitish patches. The tail is striped
black and white its entire length. Females
have four mammae.

Breeding occurs from February to May, though
the female is only receptive for 24 hours.
Gestation is between 51 and 54 days, and litter
sizes average 2-4 offspring, though 1-5 may
be born. Often both parents care for the young
who weigh 28 grams at birth. They open their
eyes at 31-34 days and begin to take solid
food at 4 weeks. At 2 months they can be found
foraging with their parents who wean them
by the age of 4 months. Both males and females
are sexually mature at 10 months.

B. astutus is found in Mexico (from
USA to the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, Tiburon
Isl and several other islands in the Gulf
of California), USA (SW Oregon, N Nevada,
Utah, SW Wyoming and W Colorado, south through
California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas).